Child of the Lost: Lost in a Hellish Paradise
by xXHawkeye1337Xx
Summary: Holly had never had an easy life. After being orphaned at age 9, she turned to crime to stay alive. After she is kidnapped, she is invited into Beacon Academy, by Professor Ozpin himself. While the death of her parent's still hangs in Holly's mind, a threat to all the realm, and her new friends, will put her to the test...Her Brother. Rated M For violence, swearing.
1. Introduction: The Girl and The Scythe

Child of the Lost: RWBY.

((Authors Note: I got the idea for this after watching the last episode of Ga-Rei-Zero, and watching episodes 1-11 of RWBY. I hope you guys like it and if you do, or if you have any criticisms for me, R&R!))

(Disclaimer: I do not own the RWBY animated series. It is owned by studio RoosterTeeth and director Monty Oum. )

(Glynda's POV)

"I'm in position, Mrs. GoodWitch. Your call." Glynda GoodWitch looked down at the pad in her hands. She tapped the blue screen once, and then pressed her thumb and forefinger on the screen. Pulling them away from each other, she opened a video of a dark, cramped alleyway down in the city. She allowed a cold smile of satisfaction to cross her lips as a figure came into view, dashing into the mouth of the filthy alley. She zoomed in, and was astonished by the visual quality. She could see sweat on the apparently hooded figure's face. From the slender physique and the long blonde hair trailing over the figure's shoulder, Glynda assumed it to be a girl. She pressed a finger to her ear, activating the mini-com.

"You have the go-ahead, Yang. That's our girl. But whatever you do, make sure not to hurt her too badly. Professor Ozpin wanted to speak with her." Glynda pulled her finger away, and was glad to hear Yang's voice, somewhat grainy, respond.

"Gotcha, Mrs. G. Are the others in position? "Yang angled the camera attached to her jacket downward, so that it caught the girl bee-lining it to the back of the alley. Glynda closed the screen, and then brought up another one. She saw a small map-grid of the alley, with four points situated in different sections; Yellow, Red, White, and Black. Glynda sighed in relief.

"Team RWBY is cleared to strike." Glynda thought she heard an excited shout from Ruby, but ignored it. She watched as a purple dot emerged on-screen. The target. All at once, she watched as the other four dots moved toward the target, each from a different direction. Glynda glared at the screen when she saw some of them, the red and white, seemingly fly off-target. Probably hit.

"Ruby, can you hear me? This is Mrs. GoodWitch. Are you and Weiss hit?" She waited somewhat anxiously for a response.

"I'm fine, Mrs. G. Yang and Blake have the target. Glynda widened the screen, and by accident she tapped on Yang's jacket cam. She caught a brief video stream of a punch being delivered into the girl's chest. She flew back, and Glynda winced slightly. But the mission was near-complete. They had the girl. And Glynda was especially glad to see the girl's scythe fly from her hands as well. She turned the video off, and pushed a stray hair back behind her ear. She had only one thought:

"And so it begins….."

(Holly, POV)

I woke up feeling as if I'd been to hell and back. For me…that's pretty normal, actually. Taking a quick glance around, I saw that I was sitting in the back of a dark van. The double doors at the back would be easy to kick out, I thought, but when I tried to move I felt the series of thick leather straps that kept my torso against the wall. 'Oh joy….' I thought, and turned. It occurred to me that I wasn't alone. A girl with long blonde hair sat almost a foot away from me, her arms crossed over her chest. Another girl, who I could just barely make out, sat opposite me. There was almost no light, and I could just slightly tell she had black hair. I winced as a sudden pain flooded my chest. That punch had hurt a lot. Blondie had done that, If I wasn't mistaken. I thought I heard the dark-haired girl snicker, but her eyes were closed when I looked up to see.

I breathed out a sigh, and then winced again. Jeez, had she broken a rib? Just as that scary thought entered my mind, the van came to a sudden halt. As if back from the dead, both girls' eyes popped open. They each put on an equally nervous glare, and stood on either side of me. I said nothing as they undid the straps around my chest. They each lifted me from under my arms, and then moved to the back of the van. The doors opened slowly, a girl in white on the left, and the one in red on the right. I kept my head down as I was lowered from the back. I felt too tired and sore to fight. For the moment, at least. I did my best to keep pace, lest I be dragged, and we walked for what definitely _felt _like ages, but was, in reality, probably two minutes. We walked until I realized we had gone into a building, to a large office. The blonde girl shoved me into a chair, keeping her eyes trained on me. The dark-haired girl hung back, at the door. I glanced around the room briefly. There was a heavy mahogany wood desk at the center of the room, directly in front of my chair. Several shelves behind it held volumes of books. A few books lay stacked on the desk, with pens and paperwork beside them.

"Sorry to keep you so long." The voice came from behind me, and sure enough a man with a cane and a steaming mug of what I assumed was coffee strode past me, taking a seat in the swivel chair behind the desk. He took a sip, eyes closed, then sighed in content.

"Holly…..Holly Alanos, yes?" He opened his eyes, and I could swear I felt the temperature in the room drop by around 20 degrees. I cleared my throat, and took a deep breath.

"Maybe." I said, putting an edge of steel into my voice. "Why'd you attack me?"

The man smirked. My eyes briefly flicked to the gold plaque on his desk. It simply read Ozpin. No official title. He leaned back in his seat, and tilted his head.

"Would you happen to be the girl who resisted arrest by officers of the law? Who openly displayed being a vigilante? Who demolished a police precinct, robbed a convenience store _and _a Dust shop? I have tapes, video; all on file. Would you like to see them?" He gave me a smile that bordered on playful and taunting. I set my jaw. Tightly, I said,

"What do you want?" I gripped the soft fabric of the chair. He leaned forward, elbows on the desk, hands clasped under his chin. He smiled again, this time…..I assumed it was a warm smile. He gave a brief laugh.

"It's going to sound foolish to you, but I'll say it anyway. Firstly, allow me to introduce myself and the fine establishment I've taken you to. This, dear girl, is Beacon Academy, where the finest Hunters and Huntresses are trained to fight monsters. I am Professor Ozpin, Headmaster here. And you-" he said, taking a sip from his mug and pointing a finger at me, and my heart sank as he said the next few words.

"-Are its newest student."


	2. First Day at Beacon!(Part 1)

Child of the Lost: Chapter 1: Beacon Academy, First Day.

(Authors Note: Heeeeey guys! ^^ Hope you liked the intro, and I hope you enjoy chapter 1. This story is probably gonna go a little slowly, but I know that there'll be some real combat in by either the next chapter or chapter 3. Enjoy!)

(Holly POV)

I sat alone on the small balcony, arms pulling my knees up under my chin. I sighed, the cold turning my breath into white smoke. It had been a few hours since the Headmaster, Professor Ozpin, had declared that he wanted me to attend Beacon. At first, I'd thought he was lying. But he hadn't lied. And not only had he offered me the scholarship, but he'd also added that I could use Beacon as my home, since I didn't have any kind of home at all.

My accommodations, however, were still pretty bad, considering I got grouped with the four girls who'd captured me. They hadn't really introduced themselves, but they had given me a blanket and pillow. Not that I'd need them. I very rarely slept anyway.

"Um….Hey." a soft voice echoed behind me. I turned, and my eyes widened just a bit when the girl in red stepped across the empty screen door. She wore a black tank-top and some red shorts that ended just above her knees. She strode onto the balcony, and I scooted over for her to sit down. She sat, and then set her back on the ground. She stared upwards, hands behind her head.

"Sorry about, well….not being very social. Mind, you did kind of roundhouse kick my partner." She chuckled, but it was obviously nervous. Then, sighing, she sat up, and looked at me. "I saw you weren't asleep on the couch. Trouble sleeping?" She asked, one eyebrow raised. I smiled a little, and shook my head.

"No, I'm just not all that tired." I stood and stretched, then leaned against the railing. The girl stood beside me. She took a deep breath, then took another glance at me. "What's your name?" She asked. I turned my head, and she had on one of the goofiest smiles I'd seen. "C'mon, you've gotta have a name, right?" Although I hated it, she incited a small chuckle from me. I smiled genuinely.

"My name is Holly. Holly Alanos. "The girl smiled at me, and nodded. She held out a hand.

"Ruby Rose. It's Nice to meet you, Holly." I took her hand and shook it. After a few minutes of silence, both of us staring out across Beacon's campus, and the area around, Ruby yawned. "I'm gonna hit the hay, if you don't mind." She turned, stretching her arms above her head, then, gave a quick "Good Night." I told her the same, and suddenly felt my eyes grow heavy. I turned and started into the dorm, but stopped.

Taking one final look behind at the night sky, I walked inside for the night.

_Blood. _

_On the walls, the floor. It was splashed against the walls in disgusting smears. I trembled, looked down at my hands. They were covered in it. Tears rolled down my cheeks. I made the mistake of looking forward. Across the room, a figure stood, a bloody knife in one hand, and a book in the other. _

"_Come, Holly. Give me what I seek. Give me the Weapon!" I didn't know what he meant. Two bodies lay on the ground at his sides. I stared, horrified. Red, then purple light filled my vision. _

"_GIVE ME THE SCYTHE, HOLLY!" The voice boomed again, and as the figure stalked closer, I opened my mouth wide._

_And I released a blood-curdling scream. _

"AH!"I screamed. I jolted upward, my skin covered with a thin film of sweat. I shook, one hand clutching my chest. I took quick, shuddering breaths, and glanced about the room. I was still in the dorm room, still at Beacon. I swung my legs over the side of the couch I'd slept on, and shivered just a bit when my bare feet touched the floor. It had been that dream…again. Doing my best to take slow, calm breaths, I stood, and walked over to the mirror by the door. I had definitely been tossing in my sleep, because my hair quite closely resembled a bird's nest. I went back to my bag, which lay behind the couch, and removed my school uniform. I held it out for a moment, a scowl crossing my face.

"They sure know how to make their uniforms emphasize the 'prep school' look….." I said quietly. Something on my bag caught my eye as I looked the uniform up and down, a note. It read,

_To Holly,_

_Combat skills class is in room 134. Be there by 8:30, unless you want detention! Though you might prefer it….today your opponent is Cardin Winchester. _

_From,_

_Ruby_

I neatly folded the note, and then removed my black cloak, white T-shirt, skinny pitch-black pants and white combat boots from my bag. The uniform would have to wait until…well, the end of time. Then a thought hit me.

Combat class.

How interesting.

They had a class I was actually good at here.

After a quick shower, I'd changed and booked it down Beacon's wide halls. I finally reached room 134 just five minutes before the bell, and sat in an empty seat on the opposite side of the room from Ruby, as well as the other girls from our dorm. I'd started thinking that I should learn their names when a boy with short, unruly blonde hair sat down next to me. He held out a gloved hand, and smiled.

"Hello there, beautiful. Juane Arc, at your service." He bowed his head, and I took his hand and shook it. He shook vigorously, and then nodded forward me as he turned his head to the instructor. I frowned when I caught the woman, blonde, tall, with a black skirt, white dress shirt, and heels; looking at _me. _Had they told all the teachers about me? Ugh. Today really was going to suck.

"I see you're here, Miss Alanos. Welcome to Combat Skills class." She turned to a small clipboard, and turned. I watched as she placed a check next to my name on a slip of paper. She began calling names, and one by one people in the class answered with various responses of "here," or "present," as she checked their names off. I learned my teammate's names by watching them intently, and waiting for their names to be called. The white haired girl was Weiss, The blonde Yang, and the dark haired girl's name Blake. I repeated them under my breath for a few moments, then the instructor, Mrs. GoodWitch, (I'd heard a student say "here, Mrs. GoodWitch.") pointed what me with her wand.

"Today, class, we have a new student. Holly Alanos, would you please rise?" I nodded, then smoothed my coat and stood. I put my hands behind my back, my right hand gripping my left wrist. Mrs. GoodWitch then pointed her wand at a boy two rows below me.

"Cardin Winchester, please rise." He rose, and turned to give me a smirk. I practically felt the arrogance emanating from it. He turned back to Mrs. GoodWitch, who was now watching me intently. She motioned to a large, raised platform behind her.

"Miss Alanos, you will display your skills to the class by sparring with Mr. Winchester. Step up to the ring, please." I swallowed, tension building in my chest. I slid out of the aisle, and then took each step briskly to the bottom. I walked up to the platform, and then stopped. To use my weapon…..I'd…..

"Is there a problem, Miss Alanos?" Mrs. GoodWitch asked. I turned and shook my head. There was no problem….but….

With some hesitation, I stepped into the ring. Cardin had grayish armor with some thin gold lining around the collar, and the same color scheme reflected in his boots and gauntlets. He leveled a heavy mace and mouthed "Fresh Meat" with a sadistic smile. I scowled.

'Wanna play it tough, pretty boy?' I thought, and rolled up my right sleeve up to the elbow. I felt the class's eyes, and even Mrs. Good Witch's stare at the long, cross-shaped tattoo that ran along. In truth, it ran all the way up my shoulder to a larger cross on my back, but this was all I needed.

"Screaming Crescendo." I said in monotone. The tattoo glowed purple, and slowly, a long, pitch-black pole formed in my hand. Gripping it tightly, I lifted up and let it rest against my shoulder. The long, scythe-style blade formed last, seemingly gushing from the metal. It solidified, and I leveled it at Cardin. Mrs. GoodWitch paused for a moment, holding on hand up. She lowered it in one, swift movement, and said one word:

"Begin."

**Alright guys, that was Chapter 1! :) Hope you all enjoyed, because chapter 2 will be even better. The intense sparring match between Holly and Cardin, the school jerk! Rate and Review, please! I don't need reviews as incentive to make new chapters, but I'd definitely like them! ^^ **

**Ciao!**

**-Hawk**


	3. First Day at Beacon!(Part 2)

Chapter 2: First Day at Beacon! Part 2

**Alright guys, nice big fight scene coming up. Hope ya'll are strapped into your seats. ^^ **

**(P.S….Well, major Cardin Humiliation imminent, that's all I'm going to say.) **

**This one took a little longer, since I like to be careful with how any type of fighting/conflict scenes are dialogued, narrated etc. I also revealed some mystery in a later part of the chapter….. ;0 Read to find out!**

**Enjoy! ^^**

"**Begin." **

Cardin rushed forward, mace down by his side. I held my scythe down by my waist, my body unmoving. There were looks of astonishment from the class as Cardin closed in, step after step. Time seemed to slow as he came up inches from me. He swung the mace around, at my left, and a hideous grin spread across his face. Quite easily, I rolled out of the way, then jabbed the shaft of my scythe at Cardin's chest. It hit him squarely, and he staggered backward. A look of pure fury erupted in his eyes, and I allowed myself a small smile.

"A lucky hit, nothing more." He said acidly, then lunged at me again, this time coming from the right, but I side-stepped him, then spun and kicked him in the gut with the heel of my boot. Cardin flew backward, crashing into the floor. I spun my scythe absent-mindedly, and sighed. When he righted himself, I had to suppress my laughter at the expression on his face. It border lined confusion and hatred. I hate to admit he caught me afterwards. He'd run straight for me, mace raised high above his head. But during his downward swing, he stopped short and jabbed at my chest. The strike knocked some of the breath from my lungs, and I fell. I rolled out of the way just before his mace smashed into the floor.

Righting myself, I scowled. A look of triumph crossed Cardin's face, even though he'd only landed one shot. He hefted the mace with his right hand, and threw it into the air. It flew above my head, and Cardin jumped for it. He grabbed it mid-air, and swung down. I ducked and darted ahead, then turned and jabbed the shaft of my weapon into his back. Cardin fell face-first to the floor, his mace in hand.

"Too. Easy." I said, smacking the blade of the scythe against the floor. I lifted it back onto my shoulder, and stretched. Cardin stood. He held the mace with two hands, above his head. Running forward, he swung it down. I brought down my scythe at the exact same moment, the blade smacking Cardin's mace down between his feet, and he froze. He'd looked down during his swing, and now, looking up, he was greeted by my weapon, mere centimeters from his nose. He growled, and I, in the most mature manner possible, stuck out my tongue.

"That will be enough for today, Cardin." Mrs. GoodWitch said. She nodded in approval at me. "You did very well today, Miss Alanos, very well." I bowed my head briefly.

"Thank you, Mrs. GoodWitch." I said. Stepping down from the ring, I tapped the back of the blade with my left hand. Both the scythe and tattoo on my arm glowed, and the scythe slowly melted into my palm. It disappeared in seconds.

Taking my seat beside Juane, I watched Cardin storm over to his own seat. He gripped his mace tightly, and turned to glare at me. I averted my gaze back to Mrs. GoodWitch. Juane nudged my arm with his elbow. A grin lit his face. He gave me a quick thumbs up. I semi-ignored it.

_Maybe going here isn't such a bad idea. _I thought. Getting to see Cardin's obvious pride shattered daily would be amazing. But….If it came to being asked about how I got it…

_Cross that bridge when you get to it. _I thought, and my attention snapped back toward class as the next pair got up to spar. After around 20 minutes, and 2 other sparring matches, the class ended. Ruby gave me a pat on the shoulder on my way through the door.

"That was pretty good, I'll admit. And to top it off, you _humiliated _Cardin Winchester. You may not know it, but your first day here is turning out pretty good. Now, C'mon. We have History, then Weapons Maintenance and Lunch." I nodded, and followed Ruby as we walked down the hall. I could practically feel the Yang's eyes on the back of my head. I was about to turn, but Ruby took my wrist, and pulled me into a classroom on the left. She let go, then moved to her seat. I was about to follow her, when a steel grip tightened on my shoulder. Yang whispered harshly in my ear,

"Watch yourself around my sister, got it? One wrong move and you get hurt. Bad." I turned as she let go, but her and Blake had quickly gone to sit in the seats beside Ruby. I breathed out a sigh and walked up, doing my best to ignore the glare I received from Weiss, who sat down next to me.

History class was not enjoyable.

Weapon maintenance had gone by quickly, partly because my weapon never needed repairs. Still, I learned a thing or two from Ruby. She'd cleaned and tuned up her weapon perfectly, while I watched.

After class was over, I followed behind Ruby to lunch. I got lucky. Yang, Blake and Weiss were all far ahead of Ruby, so I'd avoided death-glares from Yang and Weiss. Blake didn't seem hostile, surprisingly. Just a little indifferent.

Ruby tried her best to get me to open up.

"Sooo….Where did you stay before coming here, to Beacon? I lived in the city nearby, with Yang and my dad." She turned, walking backwards, and clasped her hands behind her back. I glanced upward, pressing my lips together momentarily.

"Everywhere, sort of. I moved around cities a lot. I never really stayed in one place for too long." Ruby nodded slowly. But I hadn't anticipated her next question.

"So, who did you move around with, friends, your parents?" She asked hopefully, a smile lighting her face. I stopped for a moment. Images of bloodstained walls flashed behind my eyes, and I took a deep breath.

"Just some acquaintances." I said tightly. I started walking, and Ruby followed at my side. She walked just a step ahead of me. And we stayed silent, at least until we reached the cafeteria. Ruby pushed open one of the double doors, and held it open. My lips slightly parted when I walked into the room. The ceiling was high in the air, and tall arched-glass windows lined the far wall. A long line extended along one side of the room. People crowded along it, holding metal trays. Lunch line, I guessed.

"Let's grab something to eat. The food here isn't half-bad." Ruby said. But I could tell she'd noticed. I wondered briefly if she would ask me about it later.

But I knew I'd never be able to say it.

_/ 5 hours later…../_

_I stood, the room dark around me. Suddenly, he was there. He stood tall, poised in a hooded coat, black combat boots, a black shirt, and black cargo pants. His weapon, a silver knife, gleamed in his hand. I could see his nose, mouth and chin under his hood, but nothing more. He smiled a wicked smile, then held his knife low at his waist. _

"_You want a fight, princess? Come and get me." He flashed white teeth in my direction, and I felt lava-hot rage flow through my body. I didn't remember forming my scythe, but suddenly it was in both of my hands, the shaft angled downward across my chest. I growled, and quickly sprinted across the room. I swung, again and again, twirling my scythe about me swiftly and fluidly, the blade meeting only air. The man mocked me by dodging each swing carefully and perfectly. At the last moment, he blocked the blade with his knife. I forced my weight against it, expecting to knock the knife from his hand, maybe even cut off his hand. But he was steady. Totally steady. Then, he started forward, pushing me back inch by inch, until I felt my back press against a wall. The cold numbed my skin, and any senses I had. He whispered quietly in my ear,_

"_Do you remember this, my dear Holly? A night just like this, just a few short years ago." Tears flowed from my eyes, running down my cheeks, and I released a dry, choked sob. He smiled, then, with that same smile, he said, "Look down, Holly." For whatever reason, I did. My scythe had disappeared, and now, he held that knife against my middle. _

"_I intend to finish now what I started then." He said coldly, and then I felt the pressure of the blade against my shirt, then skin, the cold blade driving deep. I stared down in horror, another sob rising and dying in my throat. Blood slowly began to seep from the wound through my white shirt. The man stepped back and licked the blade. A searing, throbbing pain slowly rose in my body. Each breath brought on waves of it. The man simply laughed. _

"_Sweet Dreams-." He started, walking away. A touch of remorse was in his voice. Then, with that wicked smile, he mouthed,_

"_-My Dear Sister."_

I shot up from the warm couch, mouth agape, tears running down my cheeks, a thin film of sweat covering my skin. I tried to breathe deeply, but it was there. The pain from the dream. With fear eating away at me, I looked down. There was no blood. No stab wound. Only that searing pain. After a few moments, it began to dissipate. I sat up, my breathing ragged and quick.

After another few minutes, with total silence surrounding me, I stood and slipped off of the couch. Dressed in shorts and a tank top, I shakily walked to the balcony door. Cool, soothing air hit me like a wave when I opened the glass door on the inside. I opened the screen door, closing the glass behind me, and sat down. I wiped away the remaining tears, and then drew long, shaky breaths. The cold night's air stuck on my skin, and I felt a chill run down my spine as a gentle gust brushed across the balcony.

I tried to ignore the feeling that a pair of eyes were watching me from behind. I heard the glass door open slightly, then close quickly. I turned just in time to see Ruby walking back to her room, Yang right behind her. I sighed, pushing some stray hairs behind my ear.

I stayed out on the balcony for around an hour, then went back inside. My first day at Beacon. It had started off so well, and normally I would've ignored a simple nightmare. But HE was in it. That alone was enough to make a disaster.

I settled back onto the couch, but stopped when I felt something warm against the small of my back. Sitting up, I picked up a warm packet, underneath the sheets. A post-it note was attached. It read,

_This pack is supposed to relax you, to help you sleep better. I've always found it to work well for nightmares, too._

_-Ruby._

I folded the note neatly, then slid it into a pocket on my bag. Putting the packet under my neck, I closed my eyes. I didn't show it, but I was completely surprised by a sweet, soft voice from across the room.

"_Goodnight, Holly."_

**Aaand that's a wrap on chapter two! Hope you guys enjoyed it. I know this story is progressing somewhat slowly, but the next chapter is most definitely going to be focused on more action. I won't spoil anything other than that. Oh, and I'd like to thank those people who followed/favorite me and/or my story! ^o^ . I'm glad you guys are entertained by my writing, and I hope you'll continue to stay up-to-date with Child of the Lost! You guys really make my day. ^_^ **

**I'll try to upload chapter 3 sometime in the next week/2 weeks, if possible. In the meantime, please drop me a review on how my good/bad my writing is. I'm never very comfortable narrating fight scenes, so advice/criticism is appreciated. Well, R&R, guys! Ciao~**

**-Hawk :D **


	4. Secrets(Part 1of 3)

**Hello, all you wonderful readers! This is chapter 3 of Child of the Lost. I intend to play around with different points of view from different characters this time around. We'll be kicking off with something I'm sure you'll find quite unexpected…**

**Enjoy~**

**(I do not own RWBY. It is owned/directed by Monty Oum, and produced by RoosterTeeth.) **

**(POV: Holly.)**

_KILL. ME. NOW_.

That was my only thought as we boarded the airship. Today, as part of combat class, we were going into the forest for a teamwork exercise. Supposedly, we would be thinning out Beowulves in teams of two. Quite sadly, Ruby wasn't my partner. Not Blake. Not even Yang, who didn't seem to trust me anyways. No.

I got paired with WEISS.

On the airship, she reminded me at least three times that I should follow her instructions, and keep moving. I told her at least four times that it was a teamwork exercise, not leadership.

"Every team needs a leader, doesn't it?" She countered. I groaned and bowed my head in my seat. The movement of the ship didn't bother me much, but the headache Weiss was giving me wasn't helped by it.

After an agonizing 30 minutes, we landed. I jumped from a side door on the ship, suspended 4 feet from the ground, and landed flat on my feet. Weiss dropped down next to me, and smoothed out her dress, a look of distaste crossing her features before she glanced at me, and nodded forward.

"We're going this way." She said. She sounded annoyed, but I paid it no mind. I rolled my sleeve up, and felt the familiar tingle and pulse in my arm as my scythe materialized. I held it across my chest, both hands gripping the shaft. Weiss had drawn her rapier, and held it low by her side, the blade angled up and away from herself.

"We'd better not get lost." I said deadpan.

"Hmm?" After walking for five minutes, I turned. I thought I'd heard…rustling.

"Ugh, What is it?" Weiss spat, obviously bothered. I frowned at her, but scanned the trees.

"I thought I heard something…." I said. I crouched low to the ground, and pressed my ear against it. Nothing. Standing, I turned. Weiss was hurrying ahead already. I grit my teeth, and jogged to catch up with her. Weiss grunted.

"I didn't hear anything. Let's go. There's supposed to be a Beowulf pack close by, in one of the caves. If there's anywhere to start, it'll be there." She said it a little _too _patiently, like she was speaking to a child. I bit my lip. If this kept up, sooner or later I'd scream at her.

'Maybe if I just listen to her, she'll lighten up.' I thought optimistically. Who knew, maybe we wouldn't find any Beowulves…

But there it was again. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a large form burst through the brush beside my partner.

I tackled Weiss just as the Beowulf lunged for her. We landed awkwardly almost a foot away from the beast, and I quickly rolled off of Weiss and onto my feet. The Beowulf howled, and charged on all fours at me. I lifted my scythe over my shoulder, and swung in a downward arc that caught the beast shoulder to hip. The Beowulf was still for a moment, then crumpled. Blood pooled under its body. Weiss stood, brushing dirt from her dress. Her expression soured as her eyes moved over the Beowulf's body.

"Well….you're good for something, I suppose." She said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. I sighed loudly, my grip tightening on the shaft of my scythe.

"We aren't done yet, Weiss." She raised an eyebrow, puzzled, but then, several more Beowulves emerged from the brush. They surrounded me and Weiss in a circle. I stood back-to-back with her, holding my scythe over my shoulder with one hand. She raised her weapon, switching the Dust chamber from blue to red.

"Think we can take them without backup?" I questioned, crouching. Weiss snorted.

"Please. Piece of cake." She said, but she didn't sound confident. I rolled my eyes.

A Beowulf lunged for me. I heard Weiss move, and sure enough, her weapon slashed a red line directly in its path. The beast flew backward as an explosion hit it dead center in the chest. I spun on my heel, and sliced a Beowulf across the chest, just as it made a move for Weiss. The others stood still, then lunged at the same time.

Weiss stabbed her blade into the ground, sending red glyphs under each of the beasts. They exploded in a brilliant flash of red, sending the Beowulves high into the air. I reared my scythe back, gripping the shaft in both hands, and jumped up. Time slowed as I rose to meet the monsters mid-air. Grinning, I spun in a flurry of slashes, my weapon leaving black and purple streaks with each cut. I heard the wind whistle with each swing, felt my scythe cleave through each Beowulf smoothly, and ended the whirlwind of attacks with a dive. My blade smashed a Beowulf below me into the ground as I descended.

For a moment, I stood on the crushed Beowulf's chest, my weapon still buried halfway through its torso. I smiled, and released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

"Holly!" Weiss called. I turned, my smile triumphant. I lifted my hand for a thumbs up, but a shadow moved over my body.

I turned around just in time for the Ursaj to backhand me with a massive paw.

_OW._

_OW._

_OW._

The headache pulsed, made my head throb and pain explode behind my eyes. I tried to open my eyes, but it hurt to even try. I moaned.

"She awake?" a voice murmured. Yang.

"I think so." That voice had been closer.

Wait.

Weiss?

I finally opened my eyes, the pain ebbing only slightly as they adjusted to the dim light. I lay on my back in our dorm room, Weiss sitting on the arm of the couch just above my head, a book in hand. I touched my hand to my forehead, my fingers pressing against the bandaging around my head. I winced as the pain throbbed. No touching that for a while.

Ruby's hand shot in front of my face, holding a glass of water. I took it and gulped it down. She smiled half-heartedly. I fell back against the pillow below me.

"How long was I out for?" I asked, grunting. Was that throbbing going to stop?

"Around two hours." Ruby said. She sat down on the edge of the couch, beside my legs. "Anything…..you may have forgotten to mention, Holly?" Ruby questioned. I shook my head slightly.

"No….why?"

She stared blankly at me. I looked around. Blake stood with her arms folded across her chest. She rolled her eyes, then, looking me in the eye, pointed at the top of her head. I felt along the top of mine.

I pressed my lips into a hard line as I felt a soft patch of flesh and fur, or, more specifically, the wolf-like ears on top of my head. They were pitch black, with a white tattoo on each. I lowered my hand. Weiss snapped her book shut, and brushed her fingertips against each tattoo. She pulled back, a sour expression on her face. Ruby stood, Yang crossed her arms. Everyone frowned. My own expression was blank.

They'd all seen the tattoo before.

It was a symbol I knew I couldn't hide forever.

The White Fang logo.

**DUN.**

…

**DUN.**

…**..**

**DUUUUUUUUN!**

**Hope y'all are on the edge of your seats now. :3 Secrets shall be dropping like bombs in this series. **

**Also, sorry it took so long to upload this specific chapter.**

**(My writers OCD forced me to rewrite it six times…..)**

**Rate and Review, if you please~**

**-Hawk.**


End file.
